Lightbulbs, lightbulbs everywhere and here's why.

The Wall Street Journal has a limited time free article on the massive subsidization effort for Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) that the three largest investor owned utilities are undertaking in California. Basically the deal is the California Legislature has offered a carrot and a stick. If the utilities reduce Californian's energy expenditures then they get a bonus, if they don't they get penalized. In short they have seen the light.

Lighting is apparently responsible for 37% of electricity consumption, but it doesn't impact peak usage which is what determines how many power plants are built. The only hazard is that the cheaper you make something, often people use more of it. So let's hope that people don't add more lights and we're back to square one.